Francis Brown family of Lakenheath

[Brissie researcher]

I have been working on a tree to help one of my friends and have managed to get back to this family who lived at Lakenheath in the first half of the 19th Century.

In the 1841 Census Francis' is occupation is shown as Toll H K which has me a bit mystified.  I would have thought Toll Lock keeper but not H K ?

Also in the Census they live at "Fen" Lakenheath.   I know what the Fens are, but cannot imagine a family of two adults and three children under 5 living in the Fens.  Would a Toll H.K.  have had a cottage supplied as part of the job's pay ?

Can anybody help me understand what I am reading ?

Thank you.

[diddymiller]

Hi & welcome to TC!

I found the following at:

http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/

Toller / Tollie / Tollman / Tollgate Keeper  Collected road tolls at a Toll Gate/House 

which would suggest Toll H K could be Toll House keeper? which would also suggest a house!

Diddy 

[trish1120]

Hi Brissie researcher,
Welcome to Rootschat

Not sure how far back you have gone with Francis and Family so will post this anyhow;

Christening,
Extracted IGI at Familysearch;
CHARLOTTE Brown, 11 February 1838, Lakenham, Suffolk
Parents, FRANCIS and ELIZA

Marriage, Extracted IGI at Familysearch;
Francis BROWN
Eliza COLEMAN, 27 October 1837, Lakenheath, Suffolk

Civil Reg of Marriage from FreeBMD;
Francis BROWN, December 1837, Mildenhall, Suffolk, 13 995
On the same page is Eliza COLEMAN
The Cert will provide Fathers names and occp's

Cheers,
Trish

[Suffolk Mawther]

Welcome to Rootschat Brissie 

No doubt you have found that searching for information on Lakenheath just churns out pages on the USAF as this is where the largest USAF base is located in the UK.

You might find this site helpful http://www.visitmildenhall.co.uk/#/lakenheath/4524285308

There are certainly Fens all around and many were used for collection of Peat.

I have checked in White's for 1844 and cannot find any mention of a Toll House.

There is no Local History Recorder for the parish.

I have noted that Patrick Taylor is giving a talk on the subject of Suffolk Toll Houses to the Suffolk Industrial Archaeology Society (unfortunately he is not listed on our Speakers List so I have no further details).

If you wish to contact the Suffolk IA Society http://rivergippingtrust.org/SIAS.aspx further information on this page.

Pat ...
www.slhc.org.uk

[Brissie researcher]

Thank you Pat, Trish and Diddy for your very helpful replies.

Pat - I have emailed the River Gipping Trust site and asked if Patrick Taylor could assist with an explanation.

Diddy - I have also bookmarked a couple of the sites I was given, since they were very useful.

Trish - Thanks for those details I had found them as I have gone as far back as Eliza's parents 'William and Elizabeth Coleman' and Francis' parents John Brown and Mary Watts.  I do not have their details as yet.

I was interested in Francis and Eliza's daughter Eleanor who married a William Edward Nabbs in London.  Their son William Edward married a Matilda Roberts in 1891.  The Roberts' family was a large one - Matilda being one of 14 children.

Through the Roberts I have made contact with three other researchers who are descendants of various children.

I have not learnt yet how to use the smiley tags, but I am very grateful for your assistance, fellow researchers.

William

[Suffolk Mawther]

Ooops! 

Unfortunately, the River Gipping Trust are nothing to do with the Suffolk Industrial Archaeology Society. 
You need to write/telephone Steve Worsley in Ipswich, he is the chap who would know.

The SIAS have engaged Patrick Taylor as a speaker at one of their monthly meetings.  They would have his contact details.
If you can then get Patrick's contact address etc, you can then contact him directly to ask if he knows anything about a Toll House in Lakenheath.

I do have the Suffolk Local History Council's current Speakers List but Patrick is not listed (our new List is being compiled for this year).

There is a web site for Toll Houses in Suffolk, however it is mostly photographic showing those still standing in the county.

Pat ...
www.slhc.org.uk

[trish1120]

Hi William,

Was Francis's Father a Farmer on his Marriage Cert ?
This seems to be them in census entries although John has an occp change later.
Son Samuel is with them in all Census though.

Then this may be his Parents;
BROWN, William and Mary Watts

1841 Census
HO107/1027/12/Lakenheath
( Siblings John/Martha/Rachel/Samuel)
1851 Census
HO107/1793/300/2
1861 Census
RG9/1143/42/10

Submitted Marriage;
John BROWN
Mary WATTS, 02 May 1805, Lakenham, Suffolk

Trish